Boil or steam the potatoes in their skins until perfectly soft. Let the potatoes cool off a bit, then peel them and pass them through a food mill or potato ricer to make a smooth purée.

While the potatoes are cooking, finely mince the tunafish.

Place the minced tuna and potato purée along the other ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Mix the ingredients together very gingerly with a spatula or wooden spoon until you have a smooth 'dough'. Make sure not to over mix, which would work the starch in the potato and render the mixture gummy. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

Take the dough and mold it into a loaf-like shape. Then lay down some plastic wrap and lay the loaf on top. Wrap the plastic tightly around it and twist the ends so that you form a smooth, compact lozonge-shaped loaf.

Place the wrapped loaf in the fridge for a good hour or more to set.

When you are ready to cook, unwrap the loaf and lay it in a lightly greased baking dish. Coat the loaf lightly with olive oil, using a pastry brush. Bake the loaf in a moderate oven (180C/350F) for about 20-30 minutes, until cooked through and just lightly browned.

Let the loaf cool for at least 15 minutes or so before serving. It is also very good—even better in my opinion—served at room temperature. In either case, serve your loaf with some homemade Italian-style mayo on the side.